September 1, 2022
A tragic event like the unthinkable massacre of schoolchildren generates an understandable emotional response. The faith community often responds with the words “thoughts and prayers,” which incenses secularists who consider them to be “do-nothing” sentiments. But God uses the thoughts, prayers, and actions of dedicated Christ followers to change troubled young men into godly leaders. I know, because he used them to change me.
August 30, 2021
Excerpts from Jerry Harris's devotional thoughts presented on the 220th anniversary of the Cane Ridge Revival earlier this month.
August 3, 2020
By David Faust It’s unfortunate that expressions like “pro-choice” and “the right to choose” have been co-opted by abortion advocates. When properly understood, the ability to choose is one of God’s greatest gifts. We don’t get to choose our birthdays, our height, or the color of our skin. But we decide what we believe, what we value, and who our friends will be. Faith, hope, and love are choices more than feelings. At age 20, I decided to ask a young woman named Candy to marry me, and I remain grateful she chose to say yes. ROCK OR SAND? What
March 23, 2014
By T.R. Robertson Believers””and nonbelievers””from a wide range of backgrounds gather under the influence of campus Christian ministries. How do they experience and express the reality of this motto? James was raised in a Christian family, part of a rural Missouri church that brought him up to know and follow the teachings of the Restoration Movement. Gary was the product of a church that does not share the legacy of the Restoration Movement. Both James and Gary attended the University of Missouri when they left home, and both became involved with the Mizzou Christian Campus House, a Christian church/church of
November 26, 2012
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone “Jesus Is Lord” is the theme for this quarter”s studies, focusing on Paul”s letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. These books (along with Philemon) are often referred to as the Prison Epistles. Most Bible students believe they were written around the same time period. In Ephesians the apostle refers directly to being imprisoned at the time he wrote (3:1; 4:1; 6:20). If this letter was written soon after the time described at the close of
February 15, 2012
By Doug Redford Last summer our local newspaper featured an article about urban farming in the Cincinnati area. It described how people began growing gardens in various locations throughout the city, not only as a hobby but also as a way to provide additional food. One man was rather philosophical about gardening. “I started seeing how gardening made people happy,” he said, “how it started changing the whole community, and it just took my heart.” Then he added, “In a garden, you control your own destiny.” That last statement, to use gardening language, deserves some cultivation. It brings to mind
By Jeff Vines Editor”s note: Five years ago we published a series of articles by Jeff Vines that dealt with three difficult questions that are often stumbling blocks for Christians as well as nonbelievers. The articles described a long conversation Jeff had with a circle of skeptics he met in an Australian restaurant. With the current discussion about the reality of Hell, we felt it helpful to reprint the third article in this series. To get all three articles (the first are “How Can We Believe in God with So Much Evil in the World?” and “How Can You Say
February 7, 2010
By Jack Cottrell Since receiving my AB degree from Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1959, I have been either preparing to teach or teaching theology (Bible doctrine) in CBS”s (now Cincinnati Christian University”s) graduate school. I was recently challenged to sum up what I have learned during this lifetime of study. Here are my thoughts. FADS vs. FUNDAMENTALS First, I have learned that theological fads come and go, but the “fundamentals” are still fundamental. A fad is a seemingly new idea that bursts on the scene and receives lots of attention, especially by authors and publishers. Once the latter have milked
March 11, 2009
By Brad Dupray From an early age, Perry Stepp was captivated by the complexity of Scripture. “As a kid I would listen to my dad preach and I was fascinated with doctrine and how different parts of the Bible connected with each other.” He followed that path to a lifelong study of the Word culminating in the recent release of Reading Paul”s Letters to Individuals, a commentary on Philemon, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus (cowritten with Hulitt Gloer; Smyth & Helwys Publishing). Perry is an alumnus of Dallas (Texas) Christian College and holds a master”s degree from Lubbock (Texas)
March 11, 2007
By Knofel Staton How much does God really know about us? Does he know everything we”ve thought or will think, spoken or will speak, and done or will do? If so, there are many other questions to ponder. Questions to Ponder “¢ If God knows everything ahead of time, is everything predetermined without the possibility of changes? “¢ If not, why pray, change our plans, and repent? “¢ If God knows and loves us, why doesn”t he stop the bad things? “¢ If everything is known in advance, what is the value of having the freedom to choose? “¢ If
March 4, 2007
This article is no longer available online, but the entire four-part series is available for purchase as a downloadable resource/pdf. Considering Calvinism “¢ Item 02972 “¢ $4.99 What is Calvinism? How should we feel about what it teaches? How does Calvinism contrast with what we believe to be a more biblical view of sin and salvation? Jack Cottrell examines the essence and errors of Calvinism in this 10-page resource that originally appeared as a four-part series in CHRISTIAN STANDARD. The articles focus on “Sovereignty and Free Will According to Calvinism” and “According to the Bible,” and a two-part explanation and
February 25, 2007
This article is no longer available online, but the entire four-part series is available for purchase as a downloadable resource/pdf. Considering Calvinism “¢ Item 02972 “¢ $4.99 What is Calvinism? How should we feel about what it teaches? How does Calvinism contrast with what we believe to be a more biblical view of sin and salvation? Jack Cottrell examines the essence and errors of Calvinism in this 10-page resource that originally appeared as a four-part series in CHRISTIAN STANDARD. The articles focus on “Sovereignty and Free Will According to Calvinism” and “According to the Bible,” and a two-part explanation
January 7, 2007
By Jeff Walling The Weather Channel shocked me one morning recently by saying visibility was going to be “unlimited.” Wow! That”s a day I don”t want to miss. Think of it, to look out your window and see forever! I could see my children”s future. I could see our country”s future. I could even see our church”s future. What a disappointment that the trees in my neighbor”s yard were blocking my view. If I could just get above the trees, what could I really see? But there”s the rub. As a Christian, do I believe someone can actually “see the
November 19, 2006
By Paul Kissling As someone who was asked to argue the “pro” side of open theism, I have a confession to make. I am not really “pro” open theism. As someone whose early training was in two Restoration Movement educational institutions, I am inherently suspicious of theological systems, even my own. If open theism has become such a system, I cannot say I am a proponent of it. But I am sympathetic to some of the questions some open theists raise about traditional systematic theology, whether Calvinistic or Arminian. More importantly, I think reading the Old and New Testaments without
August 27, 2006
This article is the final in the three-part series “A Conversation With Skeptics” that is available for purchase as a downloadable resource/pdf. (Information about how to order/download this resource is available at the bottom of this post.) Parts one and two of this series are no longer available on the Web. __________ By Jeff Vines After the stimulating conversation with both Dan and Sherri, a young lady named Jucinda loaded her gun and was ready to fire. Having made the connection between freewill, pain, and suffering, Jucinda anticipated my next move when she interrupted to say, “Come on, Jeff. Stop
August 20, 2006
By Tim Harlow I fulfilled a long-standing promise to my wife and took her to Hawaii for our 20th anniversary. We had never been to Hawaii together, and I have to tell you it is everything we expected. It is the Garden of Eden, as best I could imagine. It was like some kind of dream””perfect weather, tropical fruit, and hula people. But we had to come back to Chicago in February. There was something about the 100-degree shift in temperature (it was 15 below zero wind chill when we landed) that caused me to ask myself, How did this
August 20, 2006
By Paul E. Boatman God is omnipotent. As a little child, I knew God could just say a word, and anything would change: “Let there be light!” and there it was. “I will send a flood,” and the whole earth was flooded. He parted the Red Sea and knocked down the walls of Jericho. Add the miracles and resurrection of Jesus, and we have a powerful God! However, as I grew older, that confidence in a powerful God faced tests: I remember praying that George, a nasty kid from “the project,” would quit picking on me, but his meanness continued.
April 7, 2026
John B. Penrose Jr
April 7, 2026
David Faust
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok